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Language and Cultue of the Hebrew-Speaking WorldMon, 07 Aug 2017 10:00:09 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1The Days of the Week in Hebrewhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HebrewLanguageBlog/~3/nN649RwG5I8/
http://blogs.transparent.com/hebrew/the-days-of-the-week-in-hebrew/#respondMon, 07 Aug 2017 10:00:09 +0000http://blogs.transparent.com/hebrew/?p=2003Continue reading]]>The Hebrew days are numeral. Their names are count off their order: the first day of the week is called first day, the following day is called second day, and so on for the next four days. The counting includes only six days. The seventh day of the week is the only one without numeral meaning in its name. But let’s take it day by day, and start from the beginning:

Photo by Tracitodd on Flickr.com

Sunday – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן

The first day of the work week in Israel is not Monday, but Sunday (יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן). רׅאשׁוֹן means first, and it’s the first day of God’s creation of the world: ‟And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis, chapter 1, 5).

Monday – יוֹם שֵׁנִי

The phrase ‟Everybody hates Monday” doesn’t ring true in Israel. As the second day of the week – יוֹם שֵׁנִי – it doesn’t bear such resentment. But יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן does. And we have a different phrase for that, a military slang actually, since no soldier likes returning to base after the weekend. Soldiers call it שְׁבׅיזוּת יוֹם א’. שְׁבׅיזוּת is a slang for depression, gloom; and יוֹם א’ means יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן. It’s originally a military slang, but it’s part of every one’s life: students, workers, anyone who doesn’t plan a trip to Vegas on יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן. I spotted two interesting articles in Hebrew, advising ways to deal with שְׁבׅיזוּת יוֹם א’: one for soldiers and one for working adults.

Tuesday – יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי

When God created the world, He blessed His creations. For example, He blessed the light He created at the first day: ‟That it was good” (Genesis, chapter 1, 4). God blessed His creations for everyday of the week, except for יוֹם שֵׁנִי. On the third day God blessed twice: ‟And God called the dry land Earth … and God saw that it was good … And the earth brought forth grass … and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day” (Genesis, chapter 1 10-13).

This biblical segment originated the Hebrew phrase: יוֹם שְׁלׅישׁׅי פַּעָמַיׅם כּׅי טוֹב. It literally means: Tuesday twice good. It’s a well-known phrase among Hebrew speakers, and we often use it. Usually when inviting people to gather or celebrate something on יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי we’ll insert this phrase to the invitation. And even when speaking casually about this day, we use this phrase frequently.

Wednesday – יוֹם רְבִיעִי

As you already noticed another way to count the days in Hebrew is with letters. The days named by the first six following letters of the Aleph-Bet:

יוֹם רׅאשׁוֹן is יוֹם א’

יוֹם שֵׁנׅי is יוֹם ב’

יוֹם שְׁלׅישׁׅי is יוֹם ג’

יוֹם רְבׅיעׅי is יוֹם ד’

יוֹם חֲמׅישׁׅי is יוֹם ה’

יוֹם שׁׅישׁׅי is יוֹם ו’

יוֹם שַׁבָּת is the most respectful day of the week, and as such we don’t tag a letter to it. It stands by itself: יוֹם שַׁבָּת.

Note: we use this way of counting the days only on written language. Spoken language uses the numeral counting of the days.

A good way to memorize it is by singing along with the children song מׅי יוֹדֵעַ מַדּוּעַ וְלָמָּה לוֹבֶשֶׁת הַזֶּבְּרָה פּׅיגָ’מָה:

מׅי יוֹדֵעַ מַדּוּעַ וְלָמָּה לוֹבֶשֶׁת הַזֶּבְּרָה פּׅיגָ’מָה is a nursery rhyme, and yet very popular in Israel. It has even been adapted as a rock version:

Thursday – יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי

In the last decade or so young Israelis declared a new holiday, a weekly one: יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי. For most of them it is the last working day of the week, and for all of them it’s the beginning of the weekend. They celebrate יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי in the office, and great each other with יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי שָׂמֵחַ (Happy Thursday).

And this is their hymn –

Friday – יוֹם שִׁישִׁי

Everybody is so busy during the weekdays with their duties. יוֹם שִׁישִׁי is a day off from work for most of the people in Israel. It’s usually a time to complete all of the chores and errands: shopping, cleaning, cooking. Some even manage to meet friends at a coffee shop, or have lunch with their spouses. Friday night, what we call in Hebrew עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת, is the family dinner time. The religious families welcome the שַׁבָּת with special ceremony. The secular families just gather and eat a big dinner.

Saturday – יוֹם שַׁבָּת

‟And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (Genesis, chapter 2, 2-3).

שַׁבָּת is the day of rest. We are not working in שַׁבָּת, there is no public transportation in Israel during שַׁבָּת, shopping centers are closed. It’s basically a day dedicated to rest, family and friends. Some choose to stay at home, some choose to visit relatives, some travel with friends or the kids. Everybody wishes to return to work on יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן, after happy fulfilling שַׁבָּת.

Have a good week everyone!

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Chuppah (חוּפָּה) is an essential part of a Jewish wedding. It is so essential that it’s even become a second name for the wedding ceremony. A Jewish couple cannot be brought under the marriage oath without the חוּפָּה. In order to get married, the couple has to stand under this canopy, which consists of a cloth, sheet, or tallit stretched over four poles. חוּפָּה is a traditional object that even non religious ceremonies include it. I even saw once a gay couple use the colorful LGBT community flag as a חוּפָּה on their wedding day.

חוּפָּה appears in the Bible as related to the bride and groom:

יֵצֵא חָתָן מֵחֶדְרוֹ וְכַלָּה מֵחֻפָּתָהּ

Let the bridegroom go out from his inner chamber, and the bride from her bridal chamber.

[Joel, chapter 2, verse 16]

וְהוּא כְּחָתָן יֹצֵא מֵחֻפָּתוֹ יָשִׂישׂ כְּגִבּוֹר לָרוּץ אֹרַח

It is like a bridegroom emerging from the bridal chamber; It rejoices like a mighty man running his course.

[Psalms, chapter 19, verse 6]

Photo by Ashley Rehnblom on Flickr.com

The root of the word חוּפָּה is ח.פ.ה, which means “to cover” or “to cover up”. And this is what the חוּפָּה is doing – it is basically a covering. There are several opinions on exactly what kind of covering was used for the חוּפָּה during biblical times. Some believe the חוּפָּה is a house – the newly married couple’s new home after leaving their parents’ houses. Some assert the חוּפָּה wasn’t a house but a place or room in which the couple gathers after the ceremony, and left alone for the first time – something a Jewish couple during the old times (and nowadays in religious communities, too) wasn’t allowed to do. Others think the חוּפָּה was just a place covered and designed especially for the wedding ceremony. Others believe it wasn’t a place covered with canopy, but merely a tallit used to cover the couple together during their wedding ceremony as a symbol of their union.

Although the biblical definition of the חוּפָּה is not clear, it is well agreed that only entering under this covering transforms the bridge and groom into husband and wife. Entering under the חוּפָּה symbolizes the beginning of their joint life. Pacing into the חוּפָּה is their first steps of marriage life. The wedding ceremony is also called in Hebrew the חוּפָּה ceremony, and in short we just call it the חוּפָּה.

The modern חוּפָּה is a white cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched over four poles. The poles can be stuck in the ground, or held by four men the couple choose to give them this honor. It can be friends or relatives, but according to Judaism it must be men. The Jewish custom is to conduct the חוּפָּה out in the open air. It’s a way to bless the couple with as many children as the number of stars in the sky.

תַּכְשִׁיט (tach-sheet) )is the common Hebrew word for ‛piece of jewelry’. It refers to any piece of jewelry or other ornament, including bracelet, necklace, earring, ring, brooch, tiara, etc. From the word תַּכְשִׁיט derives other words, like תַּכְשִׁיטָן (jeweler); תַּכְשׁׅיטָנׅית (for a female jeweler); תַּכְשִׁיטָנוּת (manufacture and sale of jewels). The place to buy all these beautiful things called חֲנוּת תַּכְשׁׅיטׅים (jewelry store).

But תַּכְשִׁיט is not the only Hebrew word for ‛piece of jewelry’. The Hebrew language is composed of different periods of texts and vocabulary. Although not used in spoken language, עֲדִי (a-di) is a synonym to תַּכְשִׁיט. The word עֲדִי actually preceded the word תַּכְשִׁיט in the development of the Hebrew language. עֲדִי is a biblical word that appears several time in the Bible. For example:

I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck [Book of Ezekiel , chapter 16, verse 11]

תַּכְשִׁיט belongs to a later period of the Hebrew language. תַּכְשִׁיט is a Talmudic word – probably came to Hebrew from the Aramaic language – and stayed popular till the modern spoken Hebrew. עֲדִי appears today in the modern Hebrew only as a name, though quite a common name. I had a classmate in my high school whose name was עֲדִי, my friend married last year a girl name עֲדִי, and remember my visit to the Carmel Market? I went there with my friend עֲדִי.

Like the Hebrew names we have already learnt – Tal and Shahar – Adi is a unisex name. While living or travelling in Israel, you can meet women that go by the name Adi. For example, the comedian and actress Adi Ashkenazi, or the model and actress Adi Himelbloy. You can also meet men that go by the name Adi. For example, the fashion photographer and model agent Adi Barkan, or the mayor of Karmiel city Adi Eldar.

Text vocabulary

תַּכְשִׁיט = piece of jewelry

תַּכְשׁׅיטׅים = pieces of jewelry

תַּכְשִׁיטָן = jeweler (male)

תַּכְשׁׅיטָנׅית = jeweler (female)

תַּכְשִׁיטָנוּת = manufacture and sale of jewels

חֲנוּת = store

חֲנוּת תַּכְשׁׅיטׅים = jewelry store

עֲדִי = piece of jewelry, a common name

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In Hebrew, nouns are made definite by adding the prefix ה. This prefix is called ה’ הַיְּדׅיעָה (hey hayedia) and functions like the definite article ‛the’ in English. The word עִיתּוֹן (newspaper), for example, indicates any newspaper; while the word הָעׅיתּוֹן (the newspaper) refers to a specific newspaper. Here are some rules for the use of ה’ הַיְּדׅיעָה:

1) An indefinite noun becomes definite after it has been mentioned. For example, if someone tells his friend: אֶתְמוֹל קָרָאתׅי סֵפֶר (I read a book yesterday), the word ‛book’ does not refer to a specific book, hence does not take the definite article. But if this someone continues his story and the word ‛book’ is referred to again – for example in a sentence like: הַסֵּפֶר הָיָה מְעַנְיֵין (the book was interesting) – it is now specific and must take the definite article.

So it will be in this short conversation:

אֵיפֹה הָיׅית אֶתְמוֹל? (Where have you been yesterday?)

הָיׅיתׅי בְּמְסׅיבָּה (I was at a party)

אֵיפֹה הָיְתָה הַמְּסׅיבָּה? (Where was the party?)

הַמְּסׅיבָּה הָיְתָה בְּתֵל אָבׅיב (The party was in Tel-Aviv)

The first time the word ‛party’ appears it’s indefinite. The next two appearances it’s definite.

2) Nouns become definite even without being mentioned earlier in the conversation. The noun is definite when it refers to a specific person/object/place, known to those participating in the conversation. For example, if two Israelis discuss the economic situation, and then one of them says: הַנָּשׅיא הׅכְרׅיז עַל שׁׅינוּיׅים צְפוּיׅים (the president declares upcoming changes); the word ‛president’ is definite because they both know the speaker refers to the president of Israel.

Another example, if a couple of tourists discuss the sites and bites of Jerusalem, and then one of them says: הַשּׁוּק נֶהְדָּר (the market is wonderful); the word ‛market’ is definite because it well understood that the market he mentioned is the market of Jerusalem.

If a book starts with the sentence: בּוֹקֶר אֶחָד נׅשְׁמְעוּ דְּפׅיקוֹת חֲזָקוֹת (strong knocks were heard at morning). In the following sentence: אׅימָּא פָּתְחָה אֶת הַדֶּלֶת (mom opened the door), the word ‛door’ is definite, because it is clearly refers to the specific door of the kid and his mom’ apartment.

3) An indefinite noun is transformed to definite and specific when joined by the possessive particle שֶׁל (of). When שֶׁל is in its basic form, most of the nouns preceding it and following it should be in the definite form. For example, in the sentence דָּוִד הוּא מוֹרֶה (David is a teacher), the word ‛teacher’ is indefinite. But in the sentence דָּוׅד הוּא הַמּוֹרֶה שֶׁל טַל (David is Tal’s teacher), the word ‛teacher’ is definite.

Compare, for example, the sentence: יְרוּשָׁלַיׅם הׅיא עׅיר בּׅירָה (Jerusalem is a capital city); to the sentence: יְרוּשָׁלַיׅם הׅיא עׅיר הַבּׅירָה שֶׁל יׅשְׂרָאֵל (Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel).

4) In a sentence where a definite noun is modified by an adjective or adjective clause, the adjective or adjective clause must also be made definite. For example: הַתַּלְמׅיד הֶחָדָשׁ הׅגּׅיעַ לַכּׅיתָה (the new pupil arrived to class). One cannot say: הַתַּלְמׅיד חָדָשׁ הׅגּׅיעַ לַכּׅיתָה.

Or if someone, for example, asks where is Shahsr’s hat, his friend can answer: הַכּוֹבַע הַיָּפֶה שֶׁל שַׁחַר נׅמְצָא עַל הַכּׅסֵא (Shahar’s beautiful hat is on the chair). The word ‛hat’ is definite because of the possessive particle. The word ‛beautiful’ is definite because the adjective must be definite as well if the noun is definite.

* But – in a nominal clause (that does not have a verb), the adjectives will never be preceded by hey hayedia even though the noun is definite. Because in a nominal clause the adjective serves as the predicate of the clause: הַתַּלְמׅיד חָדָשׁ.

5) Proper nouns – like: Daniel, Tal, Tel-Aviv, Israel – will never take the definite article since they already definite by their very nature. The same is true for pronouns – like: הוּא, הׅיא, הֵם, (he, she, they) etc.

* Some proper nouns used to indicate place names are exceptions and do take the definite article: הַכִּנֶּרֶת, הַגָּלִיל הַתַּחְתּוֹן, הַנֶּגֶב, הַחֶרְמוֹן, נְהַר הַיָּרְדֵּן.

6) When a construct state is made definite, the definite article prefix hey hayedia is used with the absolute noun only. For example: תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס (the bus stop), שׁׅיעוּרֵי הָעׅבְרׅית (the Hebrew classes). And not: הַתַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס, הַשּׁׅיעוּרֵי עׅבְרׅית.

A lawyer’s son, for example, can tell: אׅימָּא אָמְרָה שֶׁהׅיא עֲסוּקָה, יֵשׁ לָהּ רֵאָיוֹן עׅם שַׂר הַתַּיָּירוּת (Mom said she is busy, she has an interview with the minister of tourism). The ‛minister of tourism’ is definite because is a well known figure to the speaker and listener. But since it’s a construct state, the absolute noun is the only one to be receive the prefix hey hayedia: שַׂר הַתַּיָּירוּת, and not הַשַּׂר הַתַּיָּירוּת, or הַשַּׂר תַיָּירוּת.

In contrast to the construct state, when a combination of a noun and its modifying adjective is made definite, the hey haydia definite article prefix will precede both the noun and the adjective. For example: הַתַּחֲנָה הַמֶּרְכָּזׅית (the central station).

A little prefix that makes a big difference. It’s a little bit confusing, but don’t worry! Try to practice it every day: one rule of hey hayedia a day. And read a lot, especially children books, in which the sentences are short, clear, and grammatically correct. בְּהַצְלָחָה (Good luck)!

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In the Jewish religion, the wedding day is the most important day of one’s life. It’s even more important than one’s birthday. Because according to Judaism a newborn comes in to the world as only as half a person. Every soul is originally composed of two parts: masculine and feminine. When the soul is getting down to earth it parts. After years of search and pursuit, when the man and woman unite under the marriage oath, the soul is finally complete. He or she becomes a whole soul only when marrying his or her other half.

Religious Jews believe in the holiness of the match. For them, one’s wedding day is like a personal Yom Kippur (a day of atonement). On this day, all their past mistakes can be forgiven. This is why religious Ashkenaz Jews fast during their last day as singles. It’s a short fast – from the sun rise till the sun set, less than 24 hours – but it’s enough to prepare the couple for their new future as good Jewish couple. On that day, the bride and groom are no longer individuals, but a family. They are responsible for each other and for their future descendants. The fast’s hardship is not only an atonement for their past mistakes, but also a cleansing opportunity to contemplate their coming future.

The wedding day is full of traditions and rituals, but the wedding ceremony itself is the most exciting one. The ceremony is the holiest part of the wedding party. Some believe that the ceremony is a unique time, during which the gates of prayer are open and God is listening. If the wedding day is an atonement day – a day of absolution for the couple – the wedding ceremony is a good time to pray. Because a prayer that comes from a person cleansed from sins is more likely to come true. A couple who want to can exploit this opportunity and turn to God with all their wishes. Some of the wedding guests enjoy this tradition as well. It is common to approach the bride and groom right after the ceremony ends and ask them for a blessing.

Other guests drink from the wine. It’s a Jewish custom to drink from a blessed glass of wine during the Kiddush, for example. The Kiddush is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and the Jewish holidays. Every Friday evening, the father of the family (or another man of the family) recites the Kiddush. After the blessing, he drinks from the wine and then passes the glass on to the rest of the participants, who in their turn sip from the wine. A similar thing occurs at a Jewish wedding. The glass of wine (red or white – it doesn’t make a different) isn’t passed on, but perched quietly under the chuppah. After the ceremony ends, lots of bachelors, and especially bachelorettes, jump on the glass. It’s not only a glass of wine that has been blessed, it’s a glass of wine that has been blessed at a wedding ceremony. As such it is now believed to have a marriage blessing – according to the superstition an unmarried person who drinks from it will get married in the next coming year.

Photo by Yollifolli on Flickr.com

Most secular Jewish people don’t fast at their wedding day (well, at least not for the above reason!). Most of them also don’t pray before the wedding ceremony. But they do observe other customs, like the popular one of drinking from a wedding glass of wine (for advanced Hebrew reading visit this funny post about this custom). Some of them have their own family customs, like pay respect to the graves of their lost love ones, or put on tefillin on the morning of their wedding day. Religious or not, a wedding day is one of the most exciting day of one’s life. Mazal Tov!

Text vocabulary

Wedding = חֲתוּנָּה

Wedding day = יוֺם נׅישּׂוּאׅין

Bachelor = רַוָּק

Bachelors = רַוָּקׅים

Bachelorette = רַוָּקָה

Bachelorettes = רַוָּקוֺת

Bride = כַּלָּה

Groom = חָתָן

Fast = צוֹם

To fast = לָצוּם

Prayer = תְּפִלָּה

To pray = לְהִתְפַּלֵּל

Wine = יַיִן

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